COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccines go through rigorous evaluation and clinical trials before they are made available to the public. To learn more about what makes a vaccine safe, click here. 

There are several types of vaccines being developed for COVID-19. Baylor Medicine is administering the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at this time.

Information about the three vaccines currently approved can be found here:

• Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty)
• Moderna
• Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen

The COVID-19 vaccine is administered via an injection, similar to how you receive your flu shot. 

The vaccines available in the United States now require a second dose approximately 21 days after the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine or 28 days after the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. If it is not possible to adhere to the recommended interval, it is encouraged that the second dose be administered no later than 42 days after the first dose.

You do not need to start over. If your second shot is delayed, you just need to receive the second shot (of the same vaccine) at some point after it was originally scheduled.

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine is administered with a single dose. 

Studies of both the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine showed that protection from COVID-19 begins about two weeks after the first vaccine dose. You are not considered to be protected until 14 days or more after the second vaccine dose. 

The same vaccine studies showed that, on average, persons who had completed the two-dose regimen were reduced their risk of infection by 91 percent which means there is still a small chance that you could be infected and develop COVID-19. For this reason, we encourage you to continue to use physical distancing, masking, and all precautions while you are around people outside of your home.

There is no current research which shows that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has mutated in a way that would result in the available vaccines not being effective. 

No, the manufacturing process for the currently available vaccines does not include any eggs or other food materials. 

Baylor Medicine is committed to vaccinating our patients as quickly as we can. We are following the federal and state guidelines for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine, additional third dose for immunocompromised individuals and booster shot. You do not need to be a current Baylor Medicine patient to receive the primary vaccine series, additional third dose or booster shot.

As of Wednesday, May 12, 2021, everyone aged 12 and older is now eligible to receive the primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine.

NEW PATIENTS
If you are a new patient to Baylor Medicine and want a your first dose, please go to Vaccine Sign Up to register for your appointment. You will be sent an email invitation to schedule your appointment once registration is confirmed. 

You may also call our vaccine scheduling line at 713-798-8600 for assistance.

CURRENT PATIENTS
If you are a current patient of Baylor Medicine, please log in to your  MyChart account to schedule your appointment. Once you are logged in, click “Visits/Appointments,” then click the green “Book an Appointment” button, select the “COVID-19 Vaccine” option and answer the rest of the questions.

For scheduling assistance, call our vaccine line at 713-798-8600. Please note that hold times may be long due to the significant demand.

OTHER OPTIONS
In addition to the Baylor Medicine Vaccine Clinic, qualified individuals may also access the COVID-19 vaccine at many community locations. To find a location near you offering vaccines visit vaccines.gov/search.

Clinical trials show both the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and Moderna vaccine to be over 90% effective. Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine is shown to be 72% effective at preventing COVID-19 in the United States, and 85% effective in preventing severe disease. Baylor Medicine supports our patients receiving any of these and does not prefer one over the other. We recommend you take the first vaccine you are offered and receive the same vaccine for your second dose, if needed.

Yes. According to the CDC, when communities are in significant or high case rates of COVID transmission, you should wear a mask covering the nose and mouth when in contact with others outside your household, even if you have received the vaccination. While the vaccines have a high rate of effectiveness, there is still a risk that you can develop illness: the vaccines are over 90% effective, but not 100%. We also do not know whether people who get the vaccine can still get infected and transmit the virus to others, even if vaccine recipients don’t get sick. Wearing your mask will prevent you from transmitting to others if it turns out that vaccines don’t protect against infection, but rather only protect against severe illness. 

Yes. According to the CDC, when communities are in significant or high case rates of COVID transmission, you and those around you should wear a mask covering the nose and mouth when in contact with others outside your household, even if you have received the vaccination. While the vaccines have a high rate of effectiveness, there is still a risk that you can develop illness: the vaccines are over 90% effective, but not 100%. We also do not know whether people who get the vaccine can still get infected and transmit the virus to others, even if vaccine recipients don’t get sick. Wearing your mask will prevent you from transmitting to others if it turns out that vaccines don’t protect against infection, but rather only protect against severe illness. 

Yes. Some people still get COVID-19 even though they were vaccinated. No vaccines, including the COVID vaccines, are 100% effective. If your body has not had enough time to build up immunity after receiving the vaccination, and you are exposed to COVID-19, there is a chance you could be infected with the virus. It is important to continue to wear a mask and social distance, even after being vaccinated, especially when most of the population is not yet vaccinated. 

While we know the vaccine is safe, if you have personal concerns about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, we encourage you to discuss further with your doctor.

There is no way to know for sure if the vaccines worked, however the studies have shown very high protection from the vaccines (more than 90%). Studies may eventually demonstrate that a blood test can determine if the vaccines worked or not, but those studies are not yet complete. 

If you experience side effects such as low-grade fever, soreness, or chills, you may take Ibuprofen or an Acetaminophen such as Tylenol to treat these symptoms. It is recommended that you should NOT take either of these medications before receiving your vaccine in order to treat anticipated symptoms. You should wait to see if you develop symptoms and then can take one of these over-the-counter medications. 

At this time, antibody testing is not recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine. Protection from COVID has been associated with receipt of the vaccine and not to a specific immune response. Depending on the type of antibody testing done, the antibody test could target an antibody to a different viral protein (nucleoprotein).

COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant now, or might become pregnant in the future.

Pregnant individuals are more likely to get severely ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant individuals. If you are pregnant, you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can protect you from severe illness from COVID-19. Guidance from the CDC states, “Based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose a risk for people who are pregnant. However, there are currently limited data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant people.” 
 
Clinical trials studying the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and how well they work in pregnant people are underway. 
 
Getting vaccinated is a personal choice, and if you have questions, you should discuss them with your healthcare provider.

Additional information can be found on the CDC website. 

Yes, you may take the vaccine. Evidence is emerging that people get better protection by being fully vaccinated compared with having had COVID-19. 

If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you or your child has a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults or children (MIS-A or MIS-C), consider delaying vaccination until you or your child have recovered from being sick and for 90 days after the date of diagnosis of MIS-A or MIS-C.

You should wait until you are fully recovered which is defined at a minimum as: no fever for 24 hours, symptoms resolved AND it has been at least 10 days since symptom onset.

The FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) COVID-19 vaccine is approved for people 16 and older. However, the CDC continues to recommend its use under an emergency use authorization for adolescents 12 through 14 years old and the Moderna vaccine for people 16 and older.

COVID-19 vaccines are recommended for and can be administered to most people with underlying medical conditions. People with weakened immune systems should be aware of the potential for reduced immune responses to the vaccine, as well as the need to continue following guidance to protect themselves against COVID-19. 

Additional information can be found on the CDC website.